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Global Covid cases surpass 540 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 540 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 540,221,830 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,330,934 on Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 87,305,419 cases so far and 1,035,828 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,219,491 during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the health ministry's latest data.
Besides, 10 deaths from the pandemic registered since Saturday morning took India's total death toll to 524,757.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh registered 71 new Covid cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning taking the country's total caseload to 1,954,006.
READ: Global Covid cases near 540 million
The country's total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,131 as no death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily test positivity rate decreased to 1.14 per cent from Friday’s 1.35 per cent as 6,225 samples were tested during this time.
The country on Friday saw 64 cases with zero death.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent. The recovery rate also remained static at 97.50 per cent as 110 patients recovered during this period.
In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases, while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with single dose of Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses.
The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 per cent.
The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.
Sitakunda depot fire: Death toll rises to 47 as another victim dies
Dhaka, Jun 12 (UNB) –The death toll from BM Container Depot depot fire rose to 47 as another victim died at a private hospital in Chattogram on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Nurul Kader, 22, a staff of the depot of Bashkhali upazila.
READ: Sitakunda fire: 8 BM Container Depot officials sued
Nurul had been undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Parkview Hospital since June 4 where he succumbed to his injuries around 2 pm, said deputy general manager of the hospital Humayun Kabir.
Zayed Khan denies allegation of wielding pistol and threatening to shoot Omar Sani
Film actor Zayed Khan allegedly took out a pistol and threatened to shoot fellow actor Omar Sani at the wedding event of Dhallywood actor Dipjol's son.However, denying the allegation and echoing the statement of Dipjol, Zayed Khan told UNB: "This is a piece of completely baseless news. We had normal conversations. Nothing has happened between us that could lead to such false news.”According to sources, the event occurred on Friday night at a wedding ceremony at a convention centre in the capital.Dipjol, however, denied the incident to UNB when contacted, saying, "This is completely false, baseless news. It is very unfortunate that the reports came out without verifying the truth. The reported incident did not take place at all.”Dipjol added, "Is it that easy that anyone will show up at a wedding with a pistol! Everyone was checked before entering the ceremony. I was present there the whole time and whatever has been revealed or reported about this, is totally baseless.”Earlier, it was reported that Zayed Khan misbehaved with Sani’s wife, popular actress Arifa Pervin Zaman Moushumi, and Omar Sani got furious over the issue. This incident later went out of order.Omar Sani could not be reached for any comment on the incident.
Also read: Appellate Division asks Zayed, Nipun to follow Chamber Judge order
No point in debating newspapers publishing video content online: Editors' Council
As a reaction to a recent comment of the information minister, the Editors' Council Saturday said there is no scope to create fresh controversy over newspapers publishing digital content on their online platforms.
The advancement of newspapers depends on the combination of print and digital content as the digital revolution around the world has posed a new challenge for the industry, it said.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud recently said newspapers are violating the conditions of their declarations by broadcasting talk shows and videos on their online platforms.
Newspapers around the world continue their efforts to retain readers and create new ones by coming up with new digital content.
The government also started the registration process for online news portals under the National Online Mass Media Policy 2017 (amended in 2020) for newspapers.
It already approved more than 100 online news portals, including the online versions of dailies, the Editors' Council said.
The print media has to cope with the adverse situation unfolded by the Covid-19 pandemic. People are no longer satisfied with a newspaper or e-paper. They also want new audio and video content that includes interviews, features, and analysis, it added.
Also read: Editors' Council calls for immediate review of DSA
Rains to drench Bangladesh
Showers are likely to turn the heat down in Bangladesh in the next 24 hours, the weather department said Saturday.
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at isolated places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Read: Rangpur's highest rainfall in 100 years foists untold troubles on residents
The mercury today reached 36 degrees Celsius – the highest – in Rajshahi, while the minimum temperature was 21.5 degrees in Dimla.
The weather department recorded 101mm rainfall – the highest – in Rajarhat in the last 24 hours till 6pm Saturday.
Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged, the BMD said.
World Day Against Child Labour tomorrow
The World Day Against Child Labour-2022 will be observed in the country as elsewhere across the globe tomorrow (Sunday).
This year, the theme of the day is ‘Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour’.
The 2022 theme of the world day calls for increased investment in social protection systems and schemes to establish solid social protection floors and protect children from child labour.
Various international and national private organisations including ILO and unicef have chalked out various programmes to mark the day.
Also read: UNRC lauds remarkable eagerness of children to learn
On the occasion of the day, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian urged the national and international organisations to come forward to stop child recruitment at mills and factories and raise awareness among the people of all stages.
“The government is committed to curbing all kinds of child labour as per the target of SDG,” she said.
Television channels will air special programmes including TVC describing the importance of the day.
According to the United Nations, ILO launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to bring attention to and join efforts to fight against child labour.
Also read: Over 1.5mn children at risk as devastating floods hit north-eastern Bangladesh: UNICEF
While significant progress has been made in reducing child labour over the last two decades, progress has slowed over time, and it has even stalled during the period 2016-2020. Today, 160 million children are still engaged in child labour – some as young as 5.
In 2015 the UN general assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which was to eliminate child labour in all forms by 2025.
Judiciary to be fully digitized within 2 years: Palak
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak has said the country's judiciary system will be made fully digitized within the next two years.
‘E-Judidicary’, a project with a budget of Tk 2,224 crore is being undertaken aimed at making the judicial system fully technology dependent and making the process more cost friendly and time saving for people as well as making the process easier for judges and lawyers, he said.
Palak said this while attending the inauguration programme of online cause list, judicial monitoring dashboard and My Court App in the city arranged jointly by the Law and Justice Division and UNDP Bangladesh.
Also read: Present world is not of competition but collaboration: Palak
He said, “Around 2,000 courtrooms will be digitized through this project and there will be an audio recording pool system at them. Besides, 14 central jails will be made digital. Camera trial rooms will be installed in 64 district jails so that inmates can participate in the hearing virtually.”
Palak said state owned web-based video conferencing platform ‘Boithok’ app will be used to ensure confidentiality and a four tier data center will be established at the Supreme Court to ensure the sovereignty of judicial information.
Also read: Palak asks youths to be self-employed in IT sector
He said 2,000 laptops would be provided to judges, desktops for office staff and 75,000 lawyers and judges would be trained to ensure a digital justice system. In addition, a cyber cafe will be set up in each bar association with a video conferencing system.
The state minister said the maximum use of technology in the Department of Judiciary and Health will be ensured in the current fiscal year after the construction of these infrastructures by A2I, UNDP and ICT departments.
ICMAB demands implementation of financial, cost audit to bring transparency in accounting system
Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) has demanded the implementation of financial audit as well as cost audit to bring transparency in the accounting system.
President of the ICMAB Md Mamunur Rashid said this has been made compulsory in various countries including neighboring India.
At the same time, if the cost of goods sold statement can be audited by the CMAs, the overall economy will be benefited as it will ensure cost efficiency through proper cost management, said while briefing reporters about the organisation’s reactions to newly unveiled national budget 2022-23 at Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) auditorium in the capital on Saturday.
He said that although many practical and business-friendly steps have been taken in the VAT Act this year, further steps should be taken incorporating CMAs to make business easier, more transparent and increasing revenue.
For the adjustment of reduced tax levied at source, the term has been extended to three years instead of the next one. It is suggested to allow a full financial year for such adjustment as the accounts are prepared at the end of a year.
Read: Focus on extending tax net to enhance Tax-GDP ratio: ICAB
For a proper and transparent accounting system and to increase revenue, the accounting statements should have the cost of goods sold certified by the CMAs.
“If the input output coefficient (Mushok 4.3) is certified by the CMAs, VAT will be collected on the correct price. These CMA’s certification will also ensure no requirement for re-audit on product price unless for certain specific cases. This clause may be accepted as a pilot project,” he said.
The ICMAB president pointed out that the proposed budget is with a total deficit of Tk 2,45,000 crore where the proposed expenditure is of Tk 6,8,000 crore against the revenue of Tk 4,33,000 crore.
“Achieving this huge budget in the post Corona period is a huge challenge for the government but it is not impossible," he opined.
ICMAB, as a professional accountancy body under the Ministry of Commerce of the Government, wants to extend its support to the government in achieving this budget.
The ICMAB president said that for an individual taxpayer, he proposed that the maximum tax-free income limit should be Tk 4,00,000 while it should be Tk 5,00,000 for women and elderly citizens, above 65 years.
He demanded that the deduction of income tax at source from service fees like advisory, consultancy, professional, technical etc. should be considered as final tax.
Read: Budget: Dr Atiur for reconsidering some tax proposals
Senior citizens whose only source of income is pension and interest on savings certificates should be exempted from return submission.
He proposed to increase the budget allocation for food security, agricultural security, medical and health security, national disaster response, industrialization, business expansion and capital market development, special facilities for garments sector, special facilities for transport industry and aviation industry.
The cost of travel has increased a lot, the tax-free limit on travel allowance for individual taxpayers should be increased from Tk 30,000 to Tk 60,000.
Besides, allowable investment sectors should be widened to offer investment tax rebates. Not everyone understands the stock market, so the DPS limit should be increased from Tk 60,000 to Tk 120,000.
AKM Delwar Hossain, Advisor, SAFA, and former President of SAFA also spoke on the budget. Md Monirul Islam, Vice President, AKM Kamruzzaman, Secretary, Ali Haider Chowdhury, Treasurer, ICMAB and Chairman of Dhaka Branch Council also spoke on the occasion.
Dengue: 20 new patients hospitalised
The country confirmed 20 more dengue – a viral infection – cases in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.
Nineteen new patients were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and one outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Ninety dengue patients, including 85 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
After a few months of low dengue figures, cases are creeping up again in Bangladesh.
This year, the DGHS has recorded 547 dengue cases and 457 recoveries so far. The directorate has not yet reported any death from the mosquito-borne viral disease.
Dengue – a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries – was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 and claimed 93 lives. In three years, the fatality number almost fell to zero.
However, 105 dengue patients, including 95 in Dhaka division, died in 2021.
Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
About 4 billion people, almost half of the world's population, live in areas with a risk of dengue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year, up to 400 million people get infected with dengue while almost 100 million get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue, it says.
Because there are four different dengue viruses, a person can be infected by the virus up to four times in their life.
"There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1 percent," according to the World Health Organization.
Khaleda must follow legal process for treatment abroad, says Home Minister
Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan Kamal said if BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia wishes to get medical treatment abroad she must follow the legal process.
The minister said this on Saturday to journalists while attending a programme at the city's Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB).
“The court has ordered that Khaleda Zia can receive treatment only within the country. If she wishes anything more she must inform the court and the court will make the decision,” he said.
Regarding the attack on police in the city's Jurain area, the minister said, ”Police are conducting their duty properly. Some isolated incidents of attacking police are occurring and legal actions have been taken against the involved."
Also read: Ring (stent) installed in Khaleda’s heart: Fakhrul
A ring (stent) has been placed in the artery of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia after she suffered a mild heart attack earlier in the day.
Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital in the early hours of Saturday as she suddenly fell ill.
The former prime minister was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018.
Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.
Also read: Khaleda suffers heart attack: Medical board
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government temporarily freed Khaleda from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay at her Gulshan home and not leave the country.